Speaker cables don't influence harmonic distortion!

Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.
It's a pain to work with.

I wouldn't be entirely surprised that a 12AWG beat a 16AWG in a direct comparison, since up to a point the less voltage drop at the speaker the better (also assuming nothing idiotic is being done with the geometry), but 12AWG is sufficient for most needs. What would be more instructive though is comparing it to a different wire of identical length, gauge & geometry. Plenty of people have done that (me included). Blind test, no difference. I've better things to be doing than worrying about arguably the simplest thing in the entire audio chain to do right.
 
ok, stop with the romex stuff :) I worked as a trade electrician for God sake!

I use 4 strand 16 gauge, silver plated twisted (like Kimber kable) Hard Drawn OFC copper.

I think the big difference for sound is also the way the copper is drawn after solidification from the foundry.

There are many grades: soft drawn. hard drawn , medium. I choose hard drawn, very harder than the romex but sound is perfect!
 
I've better things to be doing than worrying about arguably the simplest thing in the entire audio chain to do right.
Ah, but around my area the most common 4 mm squared double insulated wire (approx 11 AWG) also comes with an earth conductor. What is the best connection for the earth conductor when used on a speaker cable: + leg, - leg, floating or other?
:D
 

TNT

Member
Joined 2003
Paid Member
I can hear the difference between 12ga solid copper Romex vs 16ga OFC stranded zip cord. It's quite noticeable the improvement in bass authority (measured amp DF is significantly improved as well), and highs are brighter.

This can also be phrased I suppose:

I hear a difference between combination of speaker and cables.....

It's very hard to single out the cable as it is never used alone.

Maybe it's the speaker that change ;)

It's like schrödingers cat - you don't know until you connect a speaker...

Anyways - trying to discuss the cable only is meaningless - it's a system we need to master.

//
 
BesPav said:
Speaker is just a load with complex impedance, it can’t be linear or nonlinear.
No. You don't seem to understand even the basics of what we are discussing.

gabdx said:
Speaker cables makes a difference. Kimber cables did some research on the subject and designed a wavy (braid pattern).

However there is much snake oil in cables because it is a good market, cost not much to produce and profit margins are good if people "believe".
Pretty patterns look nice and aid marketing.

I think the big difference for sound is also the way the copper is drawn after solidification from the foundry.
No. No sound difference at all.

mt490 said:
What is the best connection for the earth conductor when used on a speaker cable: + leg, - leg, floating or other?
It depends. If you have RF interference then grounding the earth conductor may reduce this a little. Otherwise just use it to parallel one of the conductors to get smaller resistance. It doesn't matter which conductor you parallel.
 
I use 4 strand 16 gauge, silver plated twisted (like Kimber kable) Hard Drawn OFC copper.

Excellent. It conducts electricity. Although as an observation, Kimber's speaker wire is braided rather than twisted.

I think the big difference for sound is also the way the copper is drawn after solidification from the foundry.

I don't, given that the laws of physics our universe is obliged to conform with dictate that it doesn't. The signal couldn't give two hoots what way the wire is drawn.
 
At least people are talking about wire instead of speakers and amplifiers, they aren't talking about harmonic distortion though, is that because there is nothing to say about it?

Maybe your definition of distortion differs from mine, but to me it means the output signal differs from the input signal. When I build an amplifier I prefer the output signal to be as close to the input signal as possible but larger. Any change such as voltage drop or removal of frequency response by the speaker lead is distortion.

That being said, I personally don't believe that all these exotic speaker leads will improve anything. Simple stranded large diameter copper leads capable of carrying the required current without generating any heat will be the best you can hope to achieve.
 
No! This is a classic case of measurement being more than a number on a meter; you also have to understand what you are measuring so you can correctly interpret the raw data. The cause of the distortion, as I keep saying, is speaker nonlinearity. All the cable resistance does is make this distortion visible, via Ohm's Law. It is exactly the same as measuring any current by seeing what voltage it drops across a small resistance.

I think what Valery's measurements were showing was the effects of voltage drop in the wire. If you look at the term distortion in it's basic meaning, output signal deviating from input signal, the higher number reading on the meter does mean more distortion of the signal. The signal has changed. Weather or not this change has any bearing/value/meaning is what we need to interpret. I think a more valid test would be the measurement of the output of the actual speaker.
 
Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.